HIV/AIDS and Gay Masculinity

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) may access gay-specific norms of masculinity via their social and sexual relationships with other GBMSM. These alternative, or subordinate, forms of masculinity may inform GBMSM’s romantic and sexual relationships and thus shape the HIV epidemic. This entry summarizes how gay masculinities are situated in relation to hegemonic masculinity, and it lays out what is known about the role of gay masculinity with regard to the transmission of HIV, living with HIV/AIDS, and HIV interventions designed to stop the spread of the virus among GBMSM.

Hegemonic and Gay Masculinities

Gender, or the social roles ascribed to men and women, is one of the key organizing structures of society. A shared understanding of the meanings of gender shapes ...

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